1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioning system including means for the supply of a sterilization/deodorization gas, and relates in particular to an air conditioning system comprising means for using a liquid or gel form of a chemical to easily and stably supply a sterilization/deodorization gas.
2. Related Arts
There can be no disagreement with the statement that in today""s society air conditioning systems, such as mechanical devices for cooling or heating, or air purifiers, for cleaning air, constitute indispensable items of equipment. Various types of air conditioning systems, which are intended for use in small spaces, such as ordinary residences and small stores, and for use in larger spaces, such as large offices, factories, clean rooms, department stores, supermarkets, sleeping accommodations such as hotels and inns, hygienic and medical accommodations, homes for the aged, hospitals, playhouses and movies, public halls and entertainment halls, and indoor stadiums.
These air conditioning systems are so designed that thermal exchanges are effected by blowing cooled or heated air, produced by various types of refrigerating or heating sources, through air passages of various lengths into enclosed spaces. But when such an air conditioning system is used for an extended period of time, dust and dirt tend to accumulate inside the system, especially in the heat exchange section and on the walls of the air passages, and as has often been pointed out, these accumulations of dust and dirt act as hotbeds for the growth of microorganisms and mold, which are responsible for the production of unwanted odors, and infectious bacteria and irritants, such as those that are associated with respiratory infections, allergies and asthma.
To eliminate such a problem, mesh filters are provided at air intakes to prevent the entry of dirt and dust, or filters containing an absorption material, such as active carbon, active clay or silica gel, are provided at air outlets. However, since the deterioration of all such filters proceeds progressively, the resistance to the passage of air through the filters increases apace, and energy consumption rises accordingly. And if the filters are not properly cleaned and maintained, excessive dust and dirt will collect on them and their continued employment will produce adverse effects.
Therefore, consideration has been given to the employment inside air conditioning systems of materials, or an antibacterial material, to which dust and dirt are not easily attached, but it is difficult to obtain materials that will stably demonstrate the desired effects over an extended period of time. Thus, a demand has arisen for means to easily and stably perform the sterilization and deodorization of air conditioning systems.
To stably perform sterilization and deodorization, the present inventor found that when appropriate vaporization acceleration means is used, together with a stabilized chlorine dioxide liquid or gel that is safe to handle, a stabilized chlorine dioxide gas obtained as a transpiration gas was effective.
To resolve the above shortcoming, it is one objective of the present invention to provide an air conditioning system comprising means for supplying a sterilization/deodorization gas which, when mixed in an appropriate quantity with cooled or heated air in the air conditioning system, suppresses the generation of bad odors, produced by microorganisms and mold, and the growth and dispersion of bacteria.
To achieve the above objective, as is shown in FIG. 1, an air conditioning system 1 comprises:
sterilization/deodorization gas supply means 10, which includes a chemical container 12 and an evaporation acceleration unit 14, for accelerating the performance of an evaporation process for the chemical container 12, and which is located along one part of an air channel. The chemical used for the present invention may be formalin or cresol, for example, and stabilized chlorine dioxide, which possesses especially superior sterilization and deodorization properties and is safe to handle, is especially used.
The chemical retained in the chemical container 12 can be a stabilized chlorine dioxide liquid, but preferably is a stabilized chlorine dioxide gel. And while the evaporation acceleration unit 14 can be constituted by ultraviolet irradiation means or heating means, it should be noted that the stabilized chlorine dioxide gas can be evaporated even at normal temperature when the heating means is provided as the evaporation acceleration unit. The stabilized chlorine dioxide solution may be retained in a cartridge container, which can be exchanged when the contents have been exhausted. It is preferable that the sterilization/deodorization gas supply means 10 constituted by these components be located along an air channel in the air conditioning system connecting an air inlet 20 and a heat exchanger (a cooled or heated air generator) 22.
The air conditioning system 1 may be a wall mounted or a suspended or embedded ceiling mounted room air conditioner, a package office air conditioner, a central air conditioner, or another type of air conditioner. The air conditioning system 1 may also be an air purifier or an air humidifier.
According to an air conditioning system that uses the sterilization/deodorization gas supply means of the invention, by utilizing the evaporation acceleration function of the evaporation acceleration unit 14, an appropriate amount of chlorine dioxide gas is generated from the stabilized chlorine dioxide solution retained in the chemical container 12, and the thus generated chlorine dioxide gas is mixed with air which is thereafter cooled or heated by thermal exchange while passing through various types of cooling or heating sources. The air/gas mixture thereafter passes through the interior of the air conditioner and into an air duct, and then, at an outlet, is discharged into a room to adjust the internal air temperature.
Since the sterilization/deodorization gas supply means 10 is located along the air channel between the air inlet 20 and the heat exchanger 22, the temperature of the air stream that contacts the stabilized chlorine dioxide solution in the chemical container 12 is the indoor air temperature, and since there is no great temperature difference, unlike when the air has been cooled or heated, the evaporation process is not adversely affected. While the room temperature will naturally differ in summer and in winter, such a difference can be coped with by adjusting the evaporation acceleration unit 14.
Heating using a heating source (heater) or ultraviolet irradiation using an ultraviolet lamp constitutes effective generation means for the evaporation acceleration unit 14. The ultraviolet lamp can be a fluorescent chemical lamp, wherein a structure for generating a great number of ultraviolet elements is employed for a mercury vapor-filled discharge tube having the same structure as a fluorescent lamp used for illumination.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, by properly adjusting the heating condition produced by a heating source, or the radiation of ultraviolet light by an ultraviolet lamp, the volume of the evaporated gas can be controlled. The radiation of the ultraviolet light can be adjusted by controlling the light radiated by the ultraviolet lamp or by positioning a filter or a partial shutter along the light path.
With this arrangement, sterilization/deodorization gas can be easily and securely mixed with air drawn into an air conditioning system. And as a result, the interior of the air conditioning system and air ducts can be sterilized and deodorized, and cooled or heated air mixed with the sterilization/deodorization gas can be supplied to an indoor area. Therefore, a clean and safe indoor air condition can be maintained by turning on or off the air conditioning system using a panel switch thereof or a remote control, or by using a timer.